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 In March of 2007, the California Assocation of Porcelain Artists celebrated their 30th Anniversary. At that show, the current owner of The China Decorator magazine brought in excess of 100 painted pieces belonging to the late Betty Burbank and Gladys Nelson Burbank (originator of China Decorator) to the convention. Amongst the fruits, flowers, and occasional portraits, I spotted a framed plate with an intriguing ocean scene. The next morning I was among the first to her booth and was lucky enough to have purchased that piece for a mere $40!
I loved the mood of the piece and when, a year later, I decided to paint it, I strove to keep the same mood of the original artist while imparting some of my own style to it.
The most obvious changes I made were to show more cloud formations, which are a favorite of mine when painting scenes. I tried to make the sky more ominous by showing two different "systems", one in the foreground and one lurking just behind the cliff. I took some liberty by adding a crow's nest to the main mast and made the two flags a little more colorful.
Both the original and mine make great use of penwork for detailing the wayward lines on the ship as well as the sails. I loved the original artist's use of enameling to accent the waves and birds so I did the same. It was a bit tricky to create the look of "spray" with 'nameling and I still prefer the original artist's over mine. But I'm satisfied with my 'nameling accenting the crest of the waves and the birds.
The original plate has a great old brass frame. The first time I taught this subject from my own piece, the porcelain frame itself was white because I couldn't decide how to treat it, and quite frankly I had run out of time!
During that class my student, Brenda Archibald, completed her frame by making it a light wooden frame with some burling. I thought that was a great idea, but I wanted the wood to be darker on mine, more like a rich walnut burl. So, using marbling oil, pen oil, and brush strokes, I achieved the faux walnut burl. The depth it shows enhances the depth in my painting and vice-versa.
With my piece now complete, this Clipper Ship is ready to set sail and depart for exotic destinations, like the Southwest PowWow in Mesa, 2009, where it will be one of the two subjects I'll be teaching. You're all "Welcome Aboard!"
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